If you leased or loaned a Nissan during a data breach in 2017, you might be eligible for a new class action settlement.
A $1.8 million settlement has been approved for two suits against Nissan, one for Quebec residents and another covering the rest of Canada.
The suits allege that Nissan is liable for damages resulting from a December 2017 data breach.
None of the allegations were proven in court, and Nissan denies the allegations. The parties instead agreed to settle.
Though the Nissan data breach occurred in 2017, several high-profile hackings and leaks have already happened this year. Ticketmaster recently announced that customer data had been accessed in a data breach earlier this year. And a class action involving a LifeLabs data breach in 2019 was also recently settled.
Here’s what you need to know about the class action.
What is the Nissan class action about?
In December 2017, Nissan Canada Finance’s records of customer information — including their names, addresses, credit scores and vehicle information — was accessed in a data breach.
The company said at the time said it did not know how many people were affected, but contacted over one million of its current and previous customers.
The class action settlement resolves two court cases, one filed in Quebec and another in Ontario.
The Ontario lawsuit targeted Nissan Canada Inc., Nissan Canada Financial Services Inc., and Nissan North America, Inc., and the Quebec suit was filed against Nissan Canada Inc. only.
The $1.8 million settlement resolves both lawsuits.
Who is eligible to apply for the Nissan class action?
Ontario residents, and those in the rest of Canada except Quebec, who leased or loaned with Nissan between Dec. 22, 2016 and Jan. 12, 2017 are eligible members of the class action.
Residents of Quebec who leased or loaned a Nissan in that same time frame, or who received a letter from Nissan in January 2018 about the data breach, are eligible members of the Quebec suit.
Claimants need to submit a claim form, which can be found class action settlement’s website, by Oct. 21.
How much will I get from the settlement?
The settlement fund totals $1.8 million provided by Nissan to settle member claims.
Claims fall into two groups: those who have documented damage from the data breach and those without documentation.
Those who have documentation proving “damages, losses costs, and/or unreimbursed expenses” caused by the data breach are eligible for reimbursement up to $2,500.
Those without documentation may still be eligible for $35.
